A 90 day travel American Visa for a British Citizen?

Question

When you apply for a visa to travel to the USA, does anybody know how long it is valid for before you go? What if you knew you were going to America but didnt know when but you could be called to go right at the last minute, literally days but they take about 2 weeks to process. Can one be got now in preperation?

I am not eligable for the Visa Waiver Program hence the need for a visa.

Answer 1

A US visa is valid the day it is issued, and for UK citizens should be good for travel as you wish for the next ten years. If you think you will need to visit the US, it's okay to apply for a visa without specific travel plans.

Answer 2

Visas to the US are one of the biggest business ever. Most of the cases and depending from what country you are, a Visa to the US may cost you U$ 200 and the waste of a lot of time. Using the "terrorist" menace they are interfering in every body´s life. The real terrorists lives in the USA and they can go in and out without a Visa. By the way, if you are European you don´t need a Visa but you will be harassed by the immigration officer in US anyways. They will take your fingerprints and look at you as a suspicious person. If you look Arabic you may be invited to a back room. And remember to change your socks before boarding a plane in USA, they will check your shoes. Is funny to visit the USA is like a Hollywood film but it may become a nightmare....

Answer 3

If you wish to travel to America as a tourist you will not be required to obtain an American Tourist Visa if you plan to travel for less than 3 months and are a citizen of a country with a visa waiver agreement with America.

If you wish to travel in America for longer than 3 months, or intend to conduct business activities in America, you will be required to apply for a Tourist or Business Visitor (B1 or B2) Visa.

The Visa Waiver Pilot Program allows foreign nationals from certain countries to travel in America for a period of 90 days for business or pleasure without having to obtain a visa. In cases where the foreign national does not hold a passport which meets new immigration requirements (i.e. contains a digital photo and machine readable format), they will need to apply for a B Visa.

To travel to America under this program, you must:
Be travelling to America for a period of 90 days or less;
Have a passport valid for 6 months beyond your intended visit;
Be a citizen of a country which holds a visa waiver agreement with America;
Provide evidence you intend to depart the country, such as a return ticket; and
Be of good character.
All Visa Waiver Program (“VWP”) travelers, regardless of age or type of passport used, must present machine-readable passports; previous one-time exemptions for first-time VWP travelers without MRPs ended June 26, 2005. In addition, depending on when VWP travelers’ passports were issued, other passport requirements will apply:
Machine-readable passports issued before 10/26/05 – no further requirements
Machine-readable passports issued between 10/26/05 and 10/25/06 – requires digital photograph printed on the data page or integrated chip with information from the data page
Machine-readable passports issued on or after 10/26/06 – requires integrated chip with information from the data page (e-passport)

THE UK IS A VISA WAIVER COUNTRY

Answer 4

Have you tried the embassy's telephone helpline? I found it very useful when I immigrated to the USA five years ago. The number is 09042-450100 and the cost is £1.20/min from BT landlines. know that is not cheap for a phone call, but I found it well worth the money.

Answer 5

If your European then you get the Visa stamped at your point of entry into the US. you no longer need to apply to the US embassy to get a visa, so there is no need to worry about when you are going.